At Last - The Unmasking...

Well, doesnt that sound mysterious - " The Unmasking ". You know who usually gets unmasked? Superheroes - and the villains at the end of every episode of " Scooby Doo " thats ever been made. Not that i'm a superhero or anything ( so you can quit it with your Amy-as-Wonderwoman fantasies ) nor is the person i'm about to introduce you to. No - he's someone that you're all very familiar with but till this very momentous occasion you've never seen his face. Who could i possibly be talking about?

Mr Gil.

Or Michael, as his mother named him. Or Mick, as he prefers to be called. Thats us right there - me and my fiance, the man i have formerly hidden behind the mantle of Mr Gil and who will now be referred to in this blog as Mick.

Why unmask him now, after all this time? Well i figure i use my own name and because i cant help but gush over my gorgeous boy i've used my son's real name and plastered his photo all over this site; plus if you're my friend on Facebook ( which you can be, if you wanna.... just let me know ) you'd be able to see Mick's page via the " Amy Wells is engaged to " link anyway. And this way when I have any cute pictures of Flynn with his daddy or both of his parents i can post them without having to blur Micks face or crop him out. Its just going to make things so much easier!

So there you have it. I dont know if any of you were curious to see what " Mr Gil " looked like but if you were i hope your curiousity has been satisfied. And now onto the rest of my day - Flynn is ( thankfully ) having a nap so i get some lunch in before i take him for his 6 week check up - and needles - this afternoon....

Thinking Happy, Week 2

Welcome back to " Operation Think Happy ", as so dubbed by Holly at ( the newly re-named ) " Good Golly Miss Holly! To remind you, the operation involves a weekly post of 7 things that have made you happy the past week. So:

1. Finding my son a girlfriend - or my best friend P had her baby this week and i've decided that she and Flynn will day get married. Welcome little E.C!

2. Spending time with my sister - i dont always get along with my sister, but it was nice just hanging out watching some movies with her one rainy afternoon. Also, it meant i could eat my lunch/go to the toilet/fold some washing uninterrupted because i had someone to help me with Flynn.

3. Cashew marsala - i literally only ate this meal half an hour ago but it was sooooo delicious. Chicken and rice and sweetness and creaminess and - yum.

4. Singing - i used to give awesome concerts whilst cruising around in my car; now bouncing around the loungeroom singing my son to sleep makes me happy. Today i gave a particularly tuneful rendition of " Love Me Like The World Is Ending " by Ben Lee, yesterday it was " Gravity " by Allison Krauss...

5. Afternoon naps - i've been lucky enough to fit in some afternoon naps while Flynn has been sleeping. I've always been a fan but now that i have a baby and sleep is not as abundant as it used to to be, a really good nap makes me very hapy indeed.

6. My neice B's smile - she's just tunred one and she has the cutest little smile. Not all her teeth have come in yet so its all gappy, which only makes it cuter. She also likes to accompany it with her favourite word - " Hello! " - over and over. Too sweet!

7. Mr Gil - admittedly he was kind of reading this list over my shoulder and wanted to know why he hadnt been included yet. So i've kept the best for last - of course he makes me happy! Sometimes unbelivably so.....

Why Are People of My Generation So Stupid?

Not all of us of course - I mean i dont think I'M stupid, or any of the wonderful Gen-Y bloggers that read. Nope, i'm talking about the apparent majority of people who participated in the survey reported on here: " Breastfeeding embarrasses Gen Y ".

They are kidding right ? Apparently, aswell as finding that the majority of respondents have no idea about the benefits of breastfeeding, according to a survey conducted by the Queensland University of Technology :

More than 50 per cent of women believed it would be uncomfortable to breastfeed in public, and a majority of men and women did not want their child to be breastfed in public for fear of embarrassment.

Why - why should breastfeeding be embarrassing ? And are we talking its embarrassing for the women who is feeding or for the people around who may be able to see her ? It just exasperates me that these people of my generation, aged 19 - 29, who if they dont already have kids may be having them sometimes in the near future..... it just frusturates me that they would respond that way.

Breastfeeding is literally the most natural thing in the world - a womans body is genetically engineered for it. Nature intended for a woman to breastfeed, and for a baby to get the best nutritional benefit from being fed this way, so why is somehing so natural and so good for us considered " embarrassing " ? I can understand perhaps if you were an overly shy woman you might feel a little strange getting your breasts out in public, or a modest bystander may blush a little seeing a woman with a breast out. But lets face it - we're not talking " Girls Gone Wild " exhibitionism here: we're talking a display of flesh so slight you may aswell not see anything at all. It takes maybe 20 seconds to slip your shirt strap and bra down and once thats done the babies head is in the way of anything titillating.

So maybe i can understand how breastfeeding could be embarrassing for a mother ( i still fail to see how its embarrassing so much for bystanders ). What i cant not, and will not ever, be able to wrap my head around is how it can possible be found offensive ( NOTE: offensive is never mentioned in the article; its just a bug bear of mine ). I was listening to talk back radio the other night - at 4am whilst breastfeeding - and some old woman had called in to say that she finds it offensive to see women breastfeeding in public. Its indecent, she said. Seriously, i wanted to either call the radio station and berate this lady or find the old bird and give a good hard bitch slap. How can it possibly be offensive to feed a child the best way possible? Nobody is at the mall just flopping their boobs out for all and sundry to see; none of us breastfeeding ladies is doing it for some pervy, kinky reason, or see how many people we can upset by flashing a bit of nipple as we lift the baby to our breast. Nope, breastfeeding is simply about nutrition and bonding with your child, i dont know how you can find anything offensive about that.

Its people with the same attitude as crazy radio lady that make it embarrassing for some women to feed their children in public. So what do you guys think - embarrassing ? Offensive? Or just plain natural?

A Photo Update

My gorgeous little man smiles now! Granted, thats only really a smirk, but the cheeky little dude wont burst into into a full blown smile when Mummy has the camera in his face. But i gotta say, as annoying as it is that he wont co-operate so i can share his smiles with the world, when he does bless me with a big toothless grin its the most heart-meltingly beautiful thing in the world...

He's beginning to really like his seahorse - see, he's giving it hugs! Flynn's seahorse lights up and plays music and just in the last few days Flynn has started taking a real liking to it. This is handy, because if he wont fall asleep i can put him in his bassinette, turn the seahorse on, and i know i have exactly 5 minutes of music ( and thus, amusement ) to have a shower!


And this one is not so much an update as it is a backdate - thats me and my little dude straight after his birth. As haggard as i look, i'm not ashamed to share this one. I'm allowed to look tired - i've just accomplished something amazing!

Joining the Operation and Accepting an Award

Once in a while other, more interesting blog writers than myself come up with an idea that strikes a cord with others. This time a really wonderful writer, Holly over at Mama Dearest/Domestic Goddess, has come up with what she has decided to call " Operation Think Happy ". What is this operation, you ask ? Well, its basically just a promise to make regular posts about things that have made you happy; Holly is going to make her list every Thursday and i'm going to ( try ) and make mine every weekend. What better way to finish a week than to look back at the things that made you smile over the preceding 7 days ?

* My post pregnancy boobies - ok sure they sometimes get tingly, hard as a rock and leaky, but boy do they look good!

* Flynns new found smiles - my boy gave us his first smiles this week. He does this little smirk thing out of one side of his mouth and then throws his head back and has a huge open mouth, like he's laughing with out sound. Too, too sweet....

*Caramel Tim Tams, straight outta the fridge - chocolate coated chocolate biscuits with a chewy caramel centre. Yes please.... a little bit of happiness at my finger tips.

* Black shorts - or, more precisely, finally finding a pair of black shorts that were the right length, right price and that flattered my mummy tummy.

* Getting out of bed to find that Mr Gil has sorted all the dirty laundry - and was in the process of washing it all too. What a good fiance/daddy!

* " Burn Your Name ", by Powderfinger - still absolutely loving this song and everytime i hear it it makes me smile....

* A bbq at my parents place - just us and them. I'm happy to admit that Mr Gil and i get along really well with my parents. So much so i think we can say we actually LIKE hanging out with them ( O.M.G ... is that wrong of me ? )

So thats my first contribution to " Operation Think Happy ". And now, onto accepting an award which was given to me by Suzanne Icognito at Incognito Soapbox Confessions. Apparently she thinks i'm a " Kreativ Blogger " :

I dont know how " kreativ " i am - lets face it, i'm not all that good at coming up with new and exciting blog projects or operations of my own - but hey, if she wants to give me an award i will gladly accept it! There is also a meme that is supposed to be done when accepting the award - i have to share 7 things you guys dont yet know about me. Even though that seems like an impossible task ( how long have i been writing this blog, and how much random crap have i already shared ? ) i'll give it a shot. Here goes:

1. I like my tuna sandwiches best when there kind of soggy. Dont drain all the brine or water from the tuna and add lots and lots of avocado!

2. I have a scar in the centre of my hairline from walking into a door when i was little. No, i wasnt drunk - i was only a toddler and learning how to walk and, you know, i lost control and crashed into the hinge of the door. Ouchy McGouchy!

3. I may be 26 but i still love " Sesame Street ". In fact, because its Sunday afternoon and there is zero else to watch on tv, " Sesame Street " happens to be on right now.

4. I think i have too much body hair for a woman. Seriously, i'm one of these poor unfortunate ladies who is a natural brunette and is sadly afflicted with dark body hair. I'm not exactly the bearded lady, but its enough to make me feel decidely unfeminine sometimes...

And thats all i've got. Sorry Suzanne, but i seem to have exhausted my supply of random tidbits a long time ago!

Like An Australian Virgin

Do we really need politicians telling us what we should and shouldnt be doing with our sex lives? I only ask because in the past day we have had the leader of the Liberal party here in Australia saying that young women should remain virgins until theyre married. I mean i respect that he, just like everybody else, is allowed to express his opinion - but should politicians really be concerned with that kind of stuff when they could be worrying about roads and hospitals and schools and stuff ? And - should we care what they think ?

I think it is quite clear that i am NOT a virgin ( unless i'm like the second coming of Mary and my child is the second Immaculate Conception ). I am also NOT married ( yet ). So what is Tony Abbott, this aforementioned leader, think of me? Would he now think i'm some kind of whorish, slutty cretin ? Does the status of my virginity really speak to what kind of person i am ? I understand that he is the father of three teenage daughters and his opinion is probably based on what he would hope they are ( or arent, as it were ) doing - but then why has he directed this statement at all Australian women ? And - ahem - why wasnt it inclusive of Australian men?

He also admits to having " given up " his virginity before he was married so i want to ask why would he even bother publicly espousing this opinion when he cant even hold to the standard himself ? It reeks of hypocrisy, it opens him up to all kinds of criticism and i dont think its going to help him appeal to female voters anymore than he already does ( also being against abortion and gay marriage ). He already seems like he's on the very much conservative side, so giving an interview in a womens magazine where he decides he wants to tell women what to do with their bodies and sexuality only makes him less electable - to me anyways.

I suppose the politics of the man dont matter much to anyone who isnt an Australian voter - but what do you think ? Whatever your own opinions on the matter, do you think its right, or OK, for politicians to poke their noses into what is very much personal business or should they just stick to ( trying ) to run their countries?

O.M.G - Brangelina Are Breaking Up!

I know - how shocking? If i werent already happily attached this may have given me the perfect chance to get together with Brad and we could raise a rainbow family of our own ( but only if he shaves off that hideous beard - he looks like a lumberjack ).

Now that i have that very important news out of the way - the rest of my birthday turned out very well. I had a couple of spare hours up my sleeve alone with Flynn before Mr Gil got home and my family turned up, so we watched " Rent " on DVD. Despite the fact that some critics said the movie version is not all that good, " Rent " is my favourite musical and i really like the film. I threw it on and sung all the songs to Flynn ( in between feeds ) and danced him around the loungeroom when he got a little grizzly. So what if the musical subject matter includes such baby friendly topics as AIDS and drug addiction ? Its essentially a story about love and besides that singing to your child ( whether its nursery ryhmes or Top 40 stuff ) is engaging for them. I loved it!

I got quite a few nice presents ( DVD's , a book, a new wallet and some chocolates included... ) and my birthday dinner was fantastic. Mr Gil ended up making me butter chicken and it was just the right mix of saucy and spicy and yum... so yum that i ended up eating the leftovers for my lunch the next day. So i'm officially 26 now. One of my loyal readers ( you know, of the 3 of you... ) asked if i felt any older - i'm going to go with yes, but no.

How do i get yes, but no? Well i do feel older but i dont think it has all that much to do with having a birthday, and i dont necessarily think its older but rather i feel more mature. I think this whole " I actually feel like a proper grown up now " feeling has rather less to do with hitting age that is closer to 30 than it is to 20 and more to do with becoming a mother. You know - i'm partnered up, i have a small, wrinkly, but entirely gorgeous small person who relies on me for everything, i have a mortgage and a car loan and when my annual leave pay runs out we'll only have one income and few government benefits to live off until i go back to work. I mean, those are grown up concerns right?

If they dont qualify me as being almost entirely adult now, i shudder to think what you have to do to join the club.....